World's Best Game Preview: Redskins-Falcons

The good news: Redskins are coming off a win. The bad news: Now they deal with Falcons star Julio Jones. The hmmm news: Kyle Shanahan reunion time

By Talib Babb, special to Breaking Burgundy

Ready for a reunion?!?! The Redskins and Kirk Cousins are going to Atlanta to pay their old pal Kyle Shanahan a visit in the Georgia Dome.

A few things have changed since Shanahan last saw and worked as the offensive coordinator for the Skins. They finally have a general manager, they have a new head coach and his buddy Kirk is wearing a new number.

But one thing is exactly the same as when Kyle coached his last game for Washington back on December 29, 2013: Cousins is the starter and Robert Griffin III is on the bench.

I guess it’s just how he and his pops wanted it to be all along, so the story goes.

This isn’t Kirk Cousins first game against the Falcons. Captain Kirk’s second start of his career was against the Falcons back in Week 15 of 2013. Cousins was 29-of-45 for 381 yards and got a double-triple throwing for three touchdowns to go with three turnovers (a new football stat I made up, don’t question it.)

The Redskins somehow only lost that game by one point despite having seven turnovers.

Anyway, enough of the flashbacks. Nowadays, Kyle is having a ball down in ATL with Matty Ice and Julio Jones. Also, Devonta Freeman has been living in the end zone the past couple games with six touchdowns in a span of like, seven days. The Redskins as a team have scored eight touchdowns so far this season. The 4-0 Falcons are racking up the points like they’re the Greatest Show on Turf.

Good for the Falcons for going on a revenge tour and sticking it to the NFL for taking away a 2016 draft pick for pumping in crowd noise because they can’t get enough butts in the seats. I mean, what are they supposed to do, remove seats from their stadium? Nobody has time for that! Dan Snyder and other owners just need to be as creative as Arthur Blank is. Some call it cheating, I call it genius.

Whatever, here are a few stats that probably don't matter but could make you look like you know what you're talking about to your co-workers:

- The Redskins have lost four straight games against the Falcons and haven’t won since 2003 when Patrick Ramsey was a starting quarterback.

- Devonta Freeman is the first player to score seven rushing TDs in the first 4 weeks since LaDanian Tomlinson did it back in 2005.

- Julio Jones only had four receptions on Sunday and still leads the league in catches by four.

- Jordan Reed leads the Redskins in receiving yards and yards after the catch. The tight end is responsible for 21 percent of the offensive first downs generated this season. He is also likely out Sunday after suffering a concussion plus knee and ankle injuries against the Eagles.

- The winner of this game will be one game shy of tying their win total from last season.

I don't know what will really happen, but I can tell you that we don't have to worry about meteorologists lying to us about the weather affecting the game like in Week 4.

I don't know what will really happen, but I can tell you that Jones won't have 38 receiving yards like he did against Houston. Sorry to be the one to break it to you.

I don't know what will really happen, but I can tell you that if the Redskins pull this off, I am not looking forward to the faction of fans that will somehow think this team is the best team in the NFC just because they beat arguably the best team in the NFC. Be happy, sure. Keep expectations in check, yeah. Go nuts over knocking off Kyle, of course.

Come Sunday night, either the Falcons will remain undefeated or the Redskins will be the only team in the NFC East to beat the Dirty Birds -- and over .500 for the first time since the final week of the 2012 season.

Talib Babb is a freelancer for CSNmidatlantic.com, producer for 106.7 The Fan, stand-up comic and Maryland native. You can find him on Twitter @talibbabb.

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